What is theoretical orientation?

Question

I have a paper that I am writing ON an article and he wants to know what the paper's theoretical orientation is. and I don't even know WHAT that is?

Answer 1

A theroetical orientation is the model used to describe behavior or personality.  Not everyone approaches an explanation of behavior or personality the same way.  For example, Freud believed we did things based on subconsious drives.  The major one of course was s*x.  All of his explanations regarding behavior and personality revolved around this idea (unconscious s*x driven etc).  Pavlov and later B.F. Skinner came along and say it was not related to unconscious drives so much as it was to learning, rewards, punishments, reinforcements, stimulus and response etc (a rat pressing a bar for food etc) Thus there are two approaches to explain behavior and personality in a different way.

There are several orientations or theories and have strong roots to Philosophy.  The best thing to do is research theories of personality and review a brief summary of each.  Then you can compare the article you're supposed to review and the theories to see to which one it most resembles.

Major contributors and orientations are:

Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung - Psycho-Analytical

Ivan Pavlov, BF Skinner - Behaviorism

Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers - Humanistic

Donald Michenbaum - Cognitive-Behavioral

Viktor Frankl - Existential

Good luck